Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue.
A/N: So, very long time no see! I am terribly sorry for the delay (half a year, yikes!) but I have had life to deal with including: a very, very evil botany teacher, very evil botany tests, a rigorous (but excellent) creative writing course and all the other joys and sorrows that come with freshman year. But anyway, yeah.
HERE'S THE DEAL: If you are still interested, leave a review. I actually have a lot of this fic already written and sitting in my computer's memory. If you want me to finish this sucker and keep posting PLEASE say so. Personally, I use this as an outlet for my 'bwaa' which then clears my head for better writing (both style and plot-wise) so it will probably be written (especially after the new Transformers movie comes out) but I might not bother posting if no one is still reading. I do promise, however, that if there is a marked display of interest that I will update regularly (once a week) from here on out. Let me know! Thank you all for your patience!
Chapter Eight: Of Twin Terrors and Country Picnics
Before anyone realized it, months had begun to speed by, leaving everyone older, occasionally wiser, and just a little bit closer to their newly acquired friends. Astrid was in school again, and her visits to base grew less frequent, much to her dismay, but she still managed to hitch a ride with her brother every now and again on weekends. She was thrilled to find that she was still as warmly accepted as ever, and rather unhappy to discover that Jazz was telling stories about her gathered from her brother.
It was on one long weekend when Astrid really should've been doing homework instead of socializing with the twins that the Autobots got their first real glimpse at Astrid's mischievous side. She was suffering from a serious case of boredom with school, and she was about ready to paint Jazz pink after she caught him sharing a particularly embarrassing episode from her younger days with the entire rec room. She approached the twins, the twins saw an opportunity, and one of the greatest collaborations in pranking history was formed.
Jeremy was just sitting down to dinner on the human 'shelf' in the rec room when Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stumbled in through the doors with his sister sitting in the latter's hand, laughing her head off with the two mechs. Now, this alone would be cause to make any knowledgeable sibling concerned, but, coupled with his intimate knowledge of Astrid's nasty plot-making, Jeremy was downright terrified. He was just wondering whether whatever unfortunate soul they'd pranked would remain levelheaded enough to remember that Astrid was a mere squishy when Ratchet himself bellowed down the hall for all to hear, "STOP CONTAMINATING THE YOUNGLING!"
This instigated a new round of giggles from the apparent culprits and left Astrid clinging to 'Side's thumb as she wheezed for breath. Nearly everyone in the room had turned to look at the twin terrors and their newest accomplice, clearly wondering what they had gotten the girl into that would earn such wrath from the medic.
Jeremy slipped quietly away from his uneaten dinner and tip-toed cautiously through the base towards the med bay, where he had no doubt he would find the cause of the uproar. What he found, though, left even him speechless.
Sitting complacently on Ratchet's examination table were Jazz and Prowl, whose hands were both seemingly stuck to the same small datapad. Ratchet was fuming as he worked on finding some sort of solvent to the sticky stuff coating the offending object, and it seemed to Jeremy at least that he wasn't meeting with much success.
"Don't know what could've persuaded her... slagging twins... going to pay for this at their next examination..."
For someone whose hand was stuck extremely close to his fellow officer's on an innocent-looking datapad that was coated with what Jeremy had no doubt now was super glue, Jazz was taking things in stride pretty well. He even looked slightly amused by his adopted sister's creative revenge.
So he told stories about her? She'd have the whole base telling stories about him for the next month... or longer if things were slow. Jeremy could only imagine how many mechs must have seen Prowl and Jazz walking through the hallways with their hands like that, and he doubted that all of them managed to spot the tiny computer sticking them together.
"Never even saw it coming," Jazz was saying. "Clever little lady. I just picked up the datapad, and went to hand it to Prowl, but then... well, I guess you could say we got stuck on each other, 'doc."
As Ratchet's cursing was raised to the next level of anger and profanity, Jeremy slid to the floor in a helpless puddle of loud, extremely noticeable laughter. It didn't even matter when Ratchet shoved him none too gently out of the med bay. He was still laughing when the door closed.
.O.O.O.
The seasons slipped by with little change, and very soon, it was spring again, and the Lennox's were inviting every airman involved with the Autobots and their families to a picnic on their property in the nearby hills. Astrid was delighted, and happily prepared more than just the one required side dish that all families were supposed to bring with them in the interests of Sarah's sanity. There had been little time for get togethers with Jeremy's military friends and their families during the long, busy months of doom and dread known as senior year. But with the fresh breeze on her face and the smoky scent of the grill filling her nostrils, Astrid could hardly believe that she'd spent the whole fall and winter locked away in a brick and concrete prison.
It was wonderful to be out in the open again, surrounded by happy, laughing couples with little kids chasing each other around and earning their mothers' ire. Cliche? Oh, yes. Enjoyable? You betcha.
Astrid wandered over aimlessly towards the grill, where Will was cooking an impressive variety of meats and tubular, processed things that the manufacturers swore had originally come from an animal. Sarah was standing next to her husband, bouncing a giggling Annabelle on her hip. Pretty soon the little squirt was going to be too big for such things... and then Astrid was sure they'd see Will's side of the child... the trouble making side. It was amazing the sort of things a little kid could get into once they got used to doing more walking than riding.
"Hey, Sarah," said Astrid. "Hey, 'Belle."
"Hey, Astrid!" Sarah replied. The little girl in her arms swiftly buried her face in her mother's neck. "Say 'hi', Annabelle, don't be all shy on me."
Astrid smiled and shook her head, saying, "Aw, don't worry about it. A lot of kids are shy when they're little."
"Were you?" Will asked.
"No, but my brother was."
Out of nowhere, a plastic plate descended to whap her over the head, and she heard her brother grouching behind her as Will snickered.
"Blabbermouth," Jeremy accused.
"Creep."
"Squirt."
"Bossy."
"Shorty."
"Hey, now, that was a low blow!" Epps exclaimed as he walked onto the scene. "It's not her fault she's a little... vertically challenged."
"Thanks, Epps," said Astrid.
"Welcome, Astrid."
"Could you help me for a minute?" Sarah asked. "The stuff's about ready to come off the grill, and I can't carry it all... especially with Annabelle, here..."
"No problem," Astrid said. "What needs carrying?"
"Oh, everything."
"Too bad our friends over there can't lend a hand," Jeremy pointed out as he picked up a tray filled with burgers. They all looked towards the long gravel drive where a line of very nice, and very unusual cars were parked.
"Anyone else noticed that none of them seem like showing their... other sides tonight?" Epps asked.
"Oh," Sarah Lennox said airily, "they're just men is all. As soon as the work part's done they'll come out of hiding."
Will, still holding the metal spatula for the grill looked mildly offended, but all it took was a good batting of the eyes from his wife, and a noisy kiss on the cheek from his baby girl and he was glowing like a lantern again. Jeremy muttered under his breath and Epps laughed about never, ever getting married while the ladies slipped away, arms loaded with provisions for the rickety card tables that had been set up on the broad lawn. The men followed a few minutes later, talking amongst themselves and glancing from time to time at the cars in the driveway.
The food was excellent, and everyone was lazing about contentedly after second and third helpings as the sun drifted low on the horizon. By that time all the mild joy and sweet smiles of the picnic had been enough for Astrid, and she was looking longingly towards the woods covering much of the Lennox's extensive property. A camper she was not, but she did enjoy a little exploring from time to time.
She traipsed over to where the military men (including her brother) had gathered, and asked in her most polite voice, "May I look around in the woods for a little while, Mr. Lennox?"
"Oh, yeah sure," said Will, looking around from his conversation. "Just don't get lost."
"No problem."
And off she went. On her way past the flotilla of cars she gave Jazz a thump on the hood and got a flash of lights in response. Then she slipped off into the trees on an overgrown deer path, out of sight and out of mind.
.O.O.O.
Life was good. With a drink in one hand, and one of his sister's mini cheesecakes in the other, Jeremy thought he was set for life. If only he never had to go in to work again... Not that his work was all that bad, though. Very few other people on Earth could claim to have a regular, paying job so cool as his. Still, though, just kicking back in the company of some fellow humans, talking about such manly things as football and video games, felt really nice.
The moment was short lived, however, as a little girl, one of the other soldier's children, came running out of the nearby forest, her arms thrown out in front of her and her little eyes leaking tears all down her face. Everyone froze. As her father dropped to one knee and scooped her up in his military-toned arms, a hush fell over the party. Normally a small child in tears wouldn't turn so many heads, but in a gathering of people aware of a galactic war between giant mechanical aliens raging on their own planet, they were a little more easily unnerved.
Sarah scooted a little closer to Will, and her husband wrapped an arm around her shoulders almost protectively.
"What is it, sweetheart?" the soldier was asking his baby girl. "What's wrong? Did you fall?"
"N-no," the girl wailed.
"Just tell daddy," said the soldier coaxingly. "What's got my little girl so upset?"
"A monster, Daddy, monster!"
Unknowingly, the girl now had the undivided attention of every being, both human and Autobot, in the yard.
Cautiously, the soldier asked, "What kind of monster, baby?"
"That kind!" she shrieked, pointing over his shoulder.
Everyone turned to look, even as they heard the telltale noises of the Autobot soldiers transforming behind them. Sure enough: looming roughly half a mile away but still much too close for comfort was what could only be a Decepticon. It's head and shoulders poked out from the trees, its red eyes scanning back and forth over the assembly of its enemies and their allies only a short distance away.
"Move back!" Ironhide's rough voice ordered as several of his comrades began hurriedly ushering the humans back, away from the threat.
More children were crying now, and there was a worried buzz among the parents and various singles floating through the crowd. Jeremy snapped his head around to look for his own family, only to realize extremely belatedly that she had gone into the forest several minutes earlier. The only question was: in what direction had she gone? She was either very safe or in very much danger at that moment, and Jeremy doubted if she realized that just yet.
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